Screen printing machine for textiles



1952 J. l. MAREK ET AL 2,612,835

SCREEN PRINTING MACHINE FOR TEXTILES.

Filed Oct. 5, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 A a: f" 0 *Q a Q Q MQ m N f w w E lg; E Q a c L E i IIVVE/YTO QS J.I.MHQEI( Xx 00d AH IEINBEBG J. l. MAREK ET AL SCREEN PRINTING MACHINE FOR TEXTILES Udt. 7, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001:. 5, 1948 lves 526 Mi m Oct. 7, J. l T AL SCREEN PRINTING MACHINE FOR TEXTILES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed 001:. 5, 1948 Oct. 7, 1952 J. l. MAREK ET AL 2,612,835

SCREEN PRINTING MACHINE FOR TEXTILES Filed 001;. 5, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 I/Vl/E/VTOQS L J. M RE Q L,. STE/NQEQG Oct. 7, 1952 Y J. 1. MAREK ET AL SCREEN PRINTING MACHINE FOR TEXTILES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 5, 1948 //v VEJVTORS M a K E E 0 m J L. STE/NBKEG.

Patented Oct. 7, 1952 SCREEN PRINTING MACHINE FOR TEXTILES J an Ivo Marek, Margate, and Laurence Stelnberg,

Ramsgate, .England Application October 5,1948, Serial No. 52,952.

In Great Britain October 31, 1947 This invention relates to a screen printing machine for textiles and has for its object to provide such a machine which is completely automatic in operation instead of hand operated as hitherto. A further object of the invention is to provide a machine which is adaptable to a large variety of fabrics. v I

According to the present invention there is provided a screen printing machine which comprises an endless belt or the equivalent carrier for the fabric to be printed upon, one or more printing appliances including squeegees supported above the belt, means for raising one or all of said appliances at the end of a printing operation and for lowering said appliances .prior to the next printing operation, and means for engaging and moving said belt at the end of a printing operation to move the fabric carried by the belt into a position ready for the next printing operation.

According to one form of the invention the machine comprises an endless belt or the equivalent carrier for the fabric to be printed upon, means for moving said belt intermittently to displace the fabric on the belt from below one printing position to below thenext printing position in sequence, and a number of printing appliances abovesaid belt which are lowered onto the belt when the latter is stationary to effect printing and which are subsequently raised at the end of a printing operation to enable the belt to be moved forward to position the fabric ready for subsequent printing operations.

To enable the invention to be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one specific form of the invention by way of example.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a diagrammatic view of the complete machine. 7

Figure 2 is a plan view of Figure l.

' 11 Claims. (Cl. 101-126) Figure 3 is a perspective view drawn to a larger scale showing the mechanism appropriate to one printing position.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view drawn to a larger scale illustrating the drive for the belt moving mechanism and the squeegees.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the driving mechanism looking in the direction of the arrows V-V of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is in efiect a continuation of Figure 4 showing the squeegee actuating mechanism.

Figures 7 and 8 comprise respectively a diagrammatic side elevation and a part plan view showing the mechanism for intermittently elevating and lowering the racks and the subframes for the squeegees.

Figure 9 is a transverse section showing how a rack is supported at each side of the machine, and.

Figures 10 and 11 are detail side views of Figure 9 showing a rack and ered and raised positions respectively.

Referring to the drawings, the machine comprises a main frame indicated generally at i which carries at its ends rollers 2 and 3 for supporting an endless belt 4 which is driven intermittently as will hereinafter be explained to move the fabric 5 to be printed upon successively to printing positions designated at A, "13 and C. With the embodiment being described three printing positions are shown but it will be appreciated that more or less printing positions may be provided according to the number of colours the machine is required to print. n I

The belt 4 may be made of metaLfabric, rubber, synthetic rubber or any other suitable material and its width is made appropriate to that of the fabric to be printed.

.The fabric 5 is fed from equivalent and the belt 4, prior to picking up the fabric, has a film of adhesive applied to it by means of gumming mechanism l, the gum by the time the fabric is fed onto it being tacky sothat the fabric 5 is adequately secured to the belt to hold it immovable relatively to the latter during printing. After the fabric 5 has been printed upon by all colours it leaves the exit end of the machine at 5a, the printed fabric being stripped from the belt 4 by stripping mechanism not v ShOWIl.

In the operation the belt 4 is made to move A colour is printed, the portion printed at AF having moved on to position B and a fresh portion of fabric moved into position A.

The printing is effected at stages A, B and C by means of squeegees 8, each squeegee 8 as shown in Figure 3 operating in a subframe 9 which is caused to rise when the belt 4 moves and then to move down onto the belt i when the latter is stationary, each subframe accommodating a pattern It registered in a screen. The squeegees 8 may be of rubber or any other suitable material and each is mechanically operated so as to impress the colour through the pattern it onto the fabric 5 resting on thebelt 4. After a printing operation has been effected the squeegees 8 cease.

to move and the subframes'9 are caused to rise leaving the belt 4 free to move on a distancelrelated to the length. of the pattern It;

The bar of the squeegee Bis superposed .by a;

a subframe in lowa supply reel 6 or the The belt v A roller wheel 8b. Thus as the squeegee is moving to the one, or other side of the subframe, it is lifted to an appropriate heightzzowing to angles.

on the side'ofthe subframes. As the bar is sliding over the angles, the roller wheel 8b is moving.v

in the same direction on a rail. This rail is interrupted on both sides of theiframeand; by. this the squeegee is automatically reversed on both sides of the frame by an angleof approximately 90 before falling (in returning back over the angle pieces of the frame) downuonxtheiprintingv pattern.

With certain dyes and with some materials it is possible to use solvents of high volatility to facilitate drying of the colour while the fabric 5 ismoving'on the belt 4 from stage "A-' to stage B or from B'-'to C." In caseshowever-wherethe drying ofthecolour *needs to be accelerated,

one or more electrically heated rolle'rsl 1 maybe provided --for engaging -with themoistened s'urface ofthe fabric 5. 1 Alternatively, the-distance between-the- "printing stagesmay be such that one or-morerepeatsof the printing effected at stage A takes place-before-a colour printed-at "A" reaches "stage --B- thereby increasing the time available for-drying-to take-place.' Other dryingdevices may be employedsuch as infra-red radiation, steam -hot'and cold air or other suit able means indicated genera-lly at l 2.

The means for driving-the printing mechanism and the belt-4 comprises,"see-particularly Figures 4 and- 5, an-"electric motor-i3 or any alternative form of power which drives a shaft 4 byway of a belt-=45 and reduction gearing ortorque converters' -l 6,- the"- shaft "1 4' serving to drive *all the operating mechanisms although individual motors or the equivalent may-be employed for 'this purpose.-

The intermittent 'drivingof the belt '4 is effected through a vertical shaft 11 which is driven by the shaft M by way of' bevel'gearing I8. This shaft His fitted at-its upper end with a crank arm l9 provided atone end with an' upstanding pin 20 whichengagesand slides-within a channel 7 section member 2| which bridges a pair of bars or racks 22- provided one-at each side 'ofthe machine. The arrangement being such that as the-pin 20 traverses'a circularpaththe member 2| and accordingly the bars 22 are caused to move-"- backwards and forwards of the machine a distance related to the length of the pattern I 0. I

The bar 22 at each side of the machine is slidably supported in a channel sectionmember 23':- whichis adapted to -be;intermittently raised and: Ir

lowered to cause teeth ar -projections 241011. the; upperedges'of the bars 22 to engage inv openings: 25' formed at intervals "along each "longitudinal edge of thebelt- 4. The'openings 25" in the belt 4 may be reinforced if desired depending upon :the a nature of the material-:of the belt.

The means for raising the. channelsection mem-r ber-'23at each side of the machine comprises: a rockable'lever 26 ateach side of themachine which is pivoted at its. lower end- Z'Lto a part of-the machine frame I andhasa pinandzslot: connection at its uppenend with the appropriate member 2-3l' Each lever 26 is fittedtbetween its ends with -a -pin,.roller-,or' other: anti-friction:..

meansis28v which is engaged .bythe-edgeof-a cam'29 provided one at each end ofrthe shaft:

l4.'- Each-cam 29 is formed'witha rise30iwhich; extends around halfithe'peripheryiofzthe cam and the levers 26'rare1rocked'about theinpivotsz: 21 when the rises v30iengage,thezpins or.rollers;;

2 8 2' and move the. members: 23 Vendways r slightly and cause inclined projections 3| on each member 23 to ride upwardly over rollers 32 supported by 'armsi 33 rigidly connected to ailongitudinal frame member I at each side of the machine.

correspondingly, the bar or rack 22 in each memat'the lower ends of bars 36 secured to the sub-" frames 9 so that simultaneously with the raising I of the racks 22- to engage-' the teeth 24 =inthe openings '25 thesubframes are also raisedfre'e'of the belt" 4. The racks 22' are interconnected by transverse and diagonal bracing members. 220

to ensure uniform movement.

The squeegeesB of'the three subframes 9 are moved by a commonreciprocating rod 31 which'is connected to each of the squeegees 8 and at one end to a link--38 which is pivoted at its lower end 38ai to the-frame l of the machine andintermediatel-y- 0i itsends 1 to a connecting arm'39 actuated by a crank 40 mounted on one end of a 1 shaft-4l fitted with a gear-'42 which is driven" by a gear- 43 having teeth provided -half' way"- around its edge only, this latter gearbeing mounted'ona shaft 44--carrying a gearwheel 45" driven'bya chain 46 from a gear 4l on the shaft l4.

The sequence of operationof-the parts is such thatwhenprinting is being efiected at'the varitionary;'thesubframes-S down-on the belt; the" half gear- 53 -operating to move the squeegeest l forwards'and back again to their original positions and the racks 22 which are clear-of the belt moving back to their initial positions readyfor a subsequent operation."

At the end of a printing operation'the racks'22 are moved into engagementwiththe'belti; the

subframes9 raised clear of the-belt and'the belt moved forwards'to carry-the-fabric' 5 from the printing stage justeffected onto the nextrsuc cessive printing stageor, from 'the'last printing stage of the machine onto the apparatus which strips the fabric 5 from the be1t'4 where it leaves the exitend of the machine; During this time the nonoperative part of the halfgear-43'regis= ters with the gear so that "the latteris not driven "and the squeegees 8 remain stationary." 1

The foregoing embodiment has been-described merely by way of example and it will be appre-* ciated that modifications are possible to" the mechanisms described within the'scopeof the invention. For example,'..instead..of employing racks to move the belt 4 intermittently, the belt. may have friction material applied to one or both of its surfaces and thebelt moved by. clamps which grip thebelt and move it in one direction' and afterwards release-the belt and move back again ready to seize the belt-againv andmove it i on when the next printing operationhas ceased-.2. Alternatively, the belt 4 may be movediby-meansi of teeth formed on a drum which engage .throughc the holes inthe belt or photo electric oriother optical :or;solenoid devices may :be. used to zen-1';

sure therengagement; and. disengagement of z the belt drive at times appropriate to the positions of the screens in the subframes.

The means for simultaneously lifting and lowering the subframes 9 for the screens may also be varied and other mechanical or pneumatic, hydraulic or electrical jacking or lifting apparatus or other suitable means used.

Also the half-gear mechanism 43 for movin the squeegees 8 backwards and forwards may be replaced by any other interrupted drive mechanism common in engineering practice. For instance, the squeegees 8 may be chain driven and the subframes 9 provided with sprocket wheels on each side and which are so driven that those on one side rotate in theopposite direction to those on the other side, the wheels on each side working alternately.

Each of the squeegees 8 may consist of one or more strips of rubber or other suitable material having arelatively soft surface and which are flexible, the strips being connected along one edge in a channel 8a or other suitable holder which is permanently or detachably fixed to a bar connected to the link 31. Conveniently, each squeegee Bmay slide at its ends on the side of its subframe which act as guides and also restrict lateral movement of the squeegee.

The means for supplying the colour to the various squeegees 8 may consist of a gravity feed or other simple means, the drawings showing con-- tainers 4'! from which the colour is fed through pipes 48 to the squeegees 8. Means may also be provided for regulating the rate of flow or the pressure under which the colour is delivered to the squeegees 8 and the pressure of the latter on the patterns may also be adjustable if desired.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what we claim is:

1. In a screen printing machine for textiles the combination, comprising, a main frame, an endless belt supported for movement on the frame and having holes adjacent its longitudinal edges, reciprocable ratchet rack means periodically engageable in the belt holes and while engaged therein moving the belt through a predetermined distance, channel means supporting the ratchet rack means for relative movement and periodically moving same to engagement in the belt holes, motor means supported by the main frame, means driven by the motor and reciprocating the ratchet rack means, means reciprocating the channel means and driven by the motor, and means operable adjacent the end of one stroke of the channel means and moving the same and the ratchet rack means to cause the latter to engage the belt holes.

2. In a screen printing machine for textiles, the combination according to claim 1, wherein, the means reciprocating the ratchet rack means is unidirectionally driven by the motor.

3. In a screen printing machine for textiles, the combination according to claim 1, wherein, the means reciprocating the channel means comprises lever means connecting the main frame and channel means, and cam means driven by the motor andoscillating the lever means.

4. In a screen printing machine for textiles, the combination according to claim 1, wherein, the means operable adjacent the end of one stroke of the'channel means are cam means thereon and cooperating with the main frame.

5. In a screen printing machine for textiles,.

channel means and moving the subframemeans y from engagement with the belt simultaneously with the engagement of the belt by the means moving same.

6. In a screen printing machine for textiles,

the combination according to'claim 5, wherein,

the subframe moving means are cam means carried by the channel means.

7. In a screen printing machine for textiles, the combination according to claim 5, also comprising, squeegee means cooperating with the pattern and reciprocable lengthwise thereof and of the belt.

8.,In a'screen printing machine for textiles, the combination according to claim '7, also comprising, means driven by the motor and reciprocating the squeegee means.

9. In a screen printing machine for textiles, the combination according to claim 8, wherein, the means reciprocating the squeegee includes a half gear driven by the motor and a crank intermittently driven by the half gear.

10. In a screen printing machine for textiles,

the combination, comprising, a main frame, an endless belt supported for movement on the frame and having holes adjacent its longitudinal edges, reciprocable ratchet rack means periodically engageable with the belt-holes and while engaged therein moving the beltthrough a predetermined distance, means reciprocating the rack means and including a crank arm and a vertical shaft fixed to the arm, subframes movable onto and from the belt, squeegees movable backwards and forwards and stationary when the subframes are raised; means moving the squeegees, said means including, a main driving shaft geared to the vertical shaft and a half gear driven by the main shaft, cams carried by the main shaft, levers pivoted to the frame and intermittently rocked by the cams, channel means supporting the rack means and carrying inclined projections, rollers carried by the frame and engaged by the projections and raising the channel means and racks to engage the teeth thereof with the belt holes, and a motor driving the main shaft.

11. The combination according to claim 10. wherein the racks carry inclined projections, and further comprising rollers carried by the subframes and. engaged by the projections on the racks to lift the subframes from the belt at the same time as the channel means'and racks are raised.

JAN IVO MAREK. LAURENCE STEINBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

